Making Londoners Aware of Fire Risks of E-Scooters and Lithium-ion Batteries

Hina Bokhari: I am pleased the LFB now has information on the fire risks posed by e-scooters more prominently displayed on its website. What further steps are the LFB and GLA taking to work with employers, landlords and others to make Londoners aware of the fire risks associated with e-scooters and particularly lithium-ion batteries?

The Mayor: Private e-scooters are currently illegal for use on public roads and cycleways, but they are widely available for sale. There is currently a lack of regulation of these vehicles, meaning there are no minimum vehicle standards or battery specification. The GLA have had productive discussions with London Fire Brigade (LFB) about the dangers of e-scooters and other types of Electrically Powered Personal Vehicle’s (EPPV) with poor-quality, modified or damaged batteries.
LFB is currently assisting businesses, transport providers and the public with information about the dangers of poor-quality or damaged lithium-ion batteries on EPPV’s during Home Fire Safety Visits, Fire Safety Inspections and through the LFB website.
LFB is also utilising its interactions with developers and landlords to inform them of the dangers of these batteries and to ensure areas where EPPV’s are stored are suitably protected. A general lithium-ion battery safety campaign is currently being prepared by LFB. LFB are also setting up an alternative fuel and energy systems working group to identify the emerging risks posed by these groups to enable the Brigade to inform the public and shape legislation.

Works at Holborn Gyratory (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: What specific actions have been taken by (a) TfL and (b) Camden Council in relation to making Holborn Gyratory safe for cyclists during the month of March?

The Mayor: March saw further construction progress at the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road, including completion of new traffic islands and placement of new kerb stones.
Following on from the work outlined in my answer to Mayor’s Question 2022/0900, work also began on short-term solutions for the High Holborn section of the gyratory, including the junctions with Kingsway and Procter Street. A project team was set up which includes representatives from both Transport for London (TfL) and Camden Council to deliver rapid safety improvements at this location.
TfL has also allocated funding for the ongoing design of the longer-term transformational Holborn Liveable Neighbourhoods scheme. This ambitious scheme aims to remove the gyratory system - subject to further funding and public consultation - which would deliver significant safety improvements in future.

Source Charging Points and Local Residents (1)

Len Duvall: A constituent in Lewisham has been told by Source that they are not eligible for a residents’ discount for charging in their home borough as they do not have a parking permit. However they do not live within a controlled parking zone. Are you aware that the Source discount scheme discriminates against Londoners who do not live in controlled parking zones?

The Mayor: Source London is one of a number of operators providing charge points in Lewisham, each with its own competitive pricing options. Transport for London (TfL) has no involvement in the management or administration of Source London, but I have asked TfL officers to engage with Source London to raise with them the importance of ensuring that all London residents are able to take advantage of benefits aimed at supporting them. I would also suggest your constituent contacts Lewisham Council regarding local charge points as their officers may be aware of rules on the use of these charge point spaces that are specific to the borough of Lewisham.
TfL recently published ‘London’s 2030 Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy’, which sets out how TfL is working to ensure that there is fair access to EV charge points, such as through the locations where they are installed, inclusive design, pricing and interoperability, and is developing a London standard for charge points installed on Greater London Authority group land, which could be rolled out to be used on borough land in future.

Bus Driver Behaviour

Caroline Pidgeon: Following an incident involving a bus driver allegedly reading a newspaper at the wheel of a double-decker bus on Regent Street on 9 March 2022, what specific actions have you taken to ensure that bus operators actively encourage and promote good behaviour amongst their drivers?

The Mayor: In response to this incident, along with a specific review with the driver, the bus operator instigated an awareness campaign to all its drivers and frontline teams on the dangers of reading, completing paperwork, or eating/drinking while at the controls of their vehicle. The campaign was launched across the bus operator’s communications platforms and was central to team briefs and toolbox talks with driving staff in March and April 2022.
Transport for London (TfL) continues to deliver a range of work as part of the Bus Safety Programme. This includes ongoing work with bus operators to improve the safety culture and safe behaviours through the Fatigue and Health & Wellbeing workstreams, and delivery of training such as Destination Zero, which is being delivered to all 25,000 London bus drivers and aims to provide drivers with a new perspective on safe driving.
TfL also provides the Big Red Book guide for all bus drivers at all its bus operators. It includes a chapter dedicated to providing information on how drivers can keep themselves, customers, and other road users safe.

Works at Holborn Gyratory (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: What specific actions have been taken by (a) TfL and (b) Camden Council in relation to making Holborn Gyratory safe for cyclists during the month of April?

The Mayor: At the junction of Southampton Row and Theobalds Road, construction of new segregated cycle tracks on Kingsway progressed at pace, alongside the improved realigned pedestrian crossing on the Vernon Place arm of the junction. Camden Council continued to lead on construction works, with Transport for London (TfL) supporting in terms of bus diversions where necessary, bus stop suspensions and minimising impacts on road users during the construction period.
Design work continued for High Holborn at the Kingsway and Procter Street junctions, with TfL supporting Camden to investigate a number of design solutions and assess the benefits and impacts of each. The London Borough of Camden, as the Highway Authority, is leading on changes at the junction, with TfL providing support, expertise, and funding.

Source Charging Points and Local Residents (2)

Len Duvall: Would you agree that, for example, a log book or council tax bill would provide a less discriminatory proof of residence for Source to use?

The Mayor: Please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/0407.

Source Charging Points and Local Residents (3)

Len Duvall: What is the rationale behind excluding Londoners who live outside of controlled parking zones from the Source residents’ discounts scheme?

The Mayor: Please refer to my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/0407.

Social media apps

Tony Devenish: What are you going to do to suggest improvement of College of Policing training documents which Sky News has shown to misunderstand social media apps?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime meets regularly with the CoP’s Chief Executive to discuss how they are working with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to improve standards of policing.

Raising Concerns Policy

Shaun Bailey: Please can you provide a copy of the Met’s ‘Raising Concerns Policy’, mentioned on page 31 of the Quarter 1 Business Plan Update 2021-22?

The Mayor: Please see the attached Raising Concerns Policy (PDF).

The Mayor: 4934_Raising concerns policy_FINAL_v2.docx (1).pdf

The Met’s use of helicopters

Caroline Pidgeon: What progress has the Met made in replacing helicopter use with drones, where possible, in its policing operations?

The Mayor: The MPS are developing a blended air support strategy that will include the use of drones in policing operations across London where appropriate. The MPS has a longstanding drone programme, which is developed in close association with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and other aviation experts.
The blended air support strategy aims to use drones in place of helicopters, where the capability of the drone is equivalent to or exceeds that of a helicopter. Whilst drone capability will advance considerably over the next decade, they will not completely replace helicopters.

TfL’s maintenance of legible London signs

Caroline Pidgeon: Please set out TfL’s overall policy of replacing damaged legible London signs, setting out the key performance measures, including the expected timeframe for repairing or replacing them.

The Mayor: There are circa 2,500 Legible London signs located throughout London, across both Transport for London (TfL) and borough roads. TfL owns and manages 25 per cent of these signs, which are inspected as part of TfL’s highway safety inspections that can range from a weekly to 12-weekly cycle depending on the road type.
TfL raises any recorded damage or serviceability issues with its contractors to replace the appropriate part(s) or, should it be required, arrange a complete renewal. The agreed timescales are:
Damage type
Service Level Agreement
Sign damage or service issues
10 business days.
New or replacement installation
25 – 50 business days upon completed order.
Mapping data and VE artwork
30 business days from date of issue.
As part of this restoration process, if a new map panel is required, the service level agreements can be missed. If the map panel replacement is a new design, a specialist third party cartography request is required.
For Legible London signs not owned by TfL, but residing within its road network, TfL will also replace the maps if the boroughs are not fulfilling their responsibilities within a reasonable timeframe.

Walking and cycling objectives for the Silvertown Road Tunnel (2)

Siân Berry: When will you provide more detail on walking and cycling plans, and the special bus services, that you have said will be delivered as part of the Silvertown Road Tunnel project? In what forum will these plans be discussed or consulted upon?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) undertook comprehensive consultation on the plans for the Silvertown Tunnel as part of the Development Consent Order process. This work is continuing and, in my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/1344, I explain how TfL must submit details of these plans to the relevant local boroughs for approval before the scheme can be completed.
This process is already underway with some initial ‘draft’ applications submitted to the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London Borough of Newham and, where relevant, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The local boroughs have in some cases published these applications in a similar way to planning applications. The plans are also subject to consultation with local landowners through the TfL convened Stakeholder Design Consultation Group and are reviewed at regular intervals by an independent specialist Design Review Panel.
This design process is further described in TfL’s “Design Principles” document for the scheme: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR010021/TR010021-001645-TfL%207.4%20Design%20Principles%20R3.pdf
TfL expect the final plans for landscaping, walking and cycling in the immediate vicinity of the tunnel to be submitted within the next 12 months, with further plans to follow on wider improvements, and cross-river cycling, prior to the scheme opening in 2025.

Promoting Crime Reporting

Krupesh Hirani: A constituent was badly shaken by a burglary in Queensbury. The local police emphasised that victims should always report incidents as they look at every single burglary report, offer to visit the victim, leaflet the street and look through CCTV. They also look for hotspots and crime trends weekly. When a hotspot or trend is identified, a policing plan is put in place. How can we get the message out there that reporting crime is a proactive and extremely helpful step for victims to take – even if it may not have instant results?

The Mayor: I am very sorry to hear about the recent experience of your constituent. You are absolutely right that it is important that crimes are reported to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This gives the MPS the best chance of bringing offenders to justice and allows them to help victims access support services. Reporting crime allows an evidence base to be developed around offender behaviour and crime trends, and informs MPS deployment of targeted resources and activities to particular places and hotspots.
The MPS has a number of ways by which crime can be reported. As well as calling 999 or 101 in non-emergency situations, crimes can be reported via the MPS website, via Safer Neighbourhood teams, or in person at stations. I encourage anyone who has been a victim of crime to contact the MPS.
However, if victims do not want to engage with the police or want to remain anonymous, they can report a crime to Crimestoppers by phoning 0800 555111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-uk.org and completing the online form.

Police evidence 2

Susan Hall: For each year 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, how many times have specialist Met search teams searched police stations for missing evidence?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) advise me that information is not held in a way which allows this to be easily retrievable. However, a search of all Specialist Search Team records has identified 4 occasions which appear to relate to searching police stations for missing evidence - two in 2018 and two in 2021.

Building Safety Fund and Greenwich and Lewisham (1)

Len Duvall: How many outstanding applications to the Building Safety Fund are there from buildings in Greenwich and Lewisham? How many buildings had applications accepted and how many were rejected?

The Mayor: My team is administering the Building Safety Fund (BSF) on government’s behalf for buildings in London. All decisions regarding registrations to the fund and approvals of applications are carried out by government - specifically the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). It is only once DLUHC have come to a decision as to whether a building is eligible for funding - and then formally invited the Applicant to progress a full application - that the building's details are passed on to the GLA.
DLUHC publishes data on BSF registrations which can be viewed on the Gov.UK website. (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remediation-of-non-acm-buildings#building-safety-fund-registrations-private-sector-and-social-sector). In order to maintain the anonymity of unsafe buildings and ensure that only those with an operational need are getting updates on specific projects, the GLA does not publish details of application status by borough.
Leaseholders and residents can access updates on their building’s funding application using the Building Safety Fund Leaseholder and Resident Service on the Gov.UK website. (https://www.building-safety-fund-status.communities.gov.uk/).

Policy Gaps and Building Safety (2)

Len Duvall: Does the Building Safety Fund go far enough to make London’s buildings safe? Are there other materials and defects that make buildings a fire hazard but are not currently part of the criteria for funding from the Building Safety Fund that need remediation? What assessment has been made of the number of dwellings in Greenwich and Lewisham affected?

The Mayor: I have repeatedly lobbied for funding from government to be expanded beyond the focus on only unsafe cladding systems. Remediation for any type of safety defect should be carried out without leaseholders facing costs.
Due to limited official data, it is difficult to ascertain how many buildings in London – or indeed specifically in Lewisham and Greenwich - are unsafe and require remediation. The GLA has not undertaken a borough-by-borough assessment of the number of dwellings affected.

Street Trees on TfL Roads (1)

Hina Bokhari: Please state by how much the number of street trees increased along the TfL road network in the years (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020, (d) 2021 and (e) 2022.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for circa 24,500 street trees across its road network. Its annual tree planting numbers include new trees planted and replacement trees for those that must be removed.
The removal of street trees is closely managed and must meet strict criteria before approval to remove is considered. The four core reasons for removal are: highway safety (posing danger to public), natural causes (disease or end of life), development (housing or area redesign) and third-party damage.
Whilst tree numbers may not have increased in every year (due to the varying level of removals) overall, however, tree planting is still ahead of the Mayoral target of a 1 per cent increase year on year. The last tree planting season (2021-22) resulted in a further 2 per cent increase on the previous year’s planting.
The year-on-year change in tree numbers is shown below:
Reporting Year
Actual change from previous reporting year.
The estimated total number of trees on the TfL road network.
2017-18
-293
23,230
2018-19
-171
23,059
2019-20
1,175
24,234
2020-21
-131
24,103
2021-22
478
24,581

Street Trees on TfL Roads (2)

Hina Bokhari: Please state how many street trees along the TfL road network were removed in (a) 2018 (b) 2019 (c) 2020 (d) 2021 and (e) 2022. Please also state how many of the trees removed were replanted for each of these years.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for circa 24,500 street trees across its road network.
As explained in my response to Mayor’s Question 2022/1430, the removal of street trees is closely managed and must meet strict criteria before approval to remove is considered. The four core reasons for removal are: highway safety (posing danger to public), natural causes (disease or end of life), development (housing or area redesign) and third-party damage.
It is not always possible or appropriate to replace trees in all locations. Instead, TfL takes a strategic approach to ensure it remains on course to achieve the overall increase targeted in my Transport Strategy.
The table below shows the number of trees removed, the number of those tree sites replanted each year, and new tree planting sites. Where tree replacement is planned, this does not always occur in the same year as the original tree is removed.
Reporting Year
Trees Removed
Sites Replanted
New Sites Planted
2017-18
632
147
192
2018-19
530
321
38
2019-20
700
700
1175
2020-21
848
180
537
2021-22
371
113
736

Mapping climate impacts in London (1)

Zack Polanski: The Commissioner of the London Fire Brigade has said that in 2021 there were almost 4,000 grass fires within the M25 area. Could you provide a map and table of these incidents, including a breakdown by borough, so that the nature of climate risks in London can be clearly understood?

The Mayor: There are often multiple factors contributing to the cause of grass fires, including human behaviour and activities. While it is not possible to conclude that every grass fire is a result of climate change, periods of hot weather will increase their likelihood.
The figure provided by the London Fire Commissioner at the Plenary meeting on 10 February was an estimate for 2020 and referred to fires in outdoor areas (commonly known as 'grass fires'). This covers a broad range of categories, including fires in parks, wasteland, as well as roads, pavements and public pathways. Figures for both 2020 and 2021 have been provided.
In 2020, London Fire Brigade, attended 4,192 such fires in Greater London and in 2021, attended 2,628such fires.A full breakdown of the data by borough for 2020 and 2021 is provided in the table below. Maps showing incident locations are also included for both years.
London Borough
Outdoor fire incidents 2020
Outdoor fire incidents 2021
Barking and Dagenham
79
95
Barnet
135
207
Bexley
102
160
Brent
94
165
Bromley
154
201
Camden
52
65
City of London
3
1
Croydon
136
210
Ealing
82
243
Enfield
144
180
Greenwich
115
188
Hackney
60
72
Hammersmith and Fulham
28
53
Haringey
73
125
Harrow
62
122
Havering
134
176
Hillingdon
133
205
Hounslow
131
252
Islington
36
54
Kensington and Chelsea
19
33
Kingston upon Thames
28
49
Lambeth
55
109
Lewisham
85
125
Merton
65
112
Newham
90
122
Redbridge
83
155
Richmond upon Thames
47
116
Southwark
75
87
Sutton
62
113
Tower Hamlets
73
84
Waltham Forest
90
184
Wandsworth
73
74
Westminster
30
55
Total
2,628
4,192

Drug driving 1

Keith Prince: How many drug driving kits does the Met have?

The Mayor: The number of drug driving kits the MPS has is variable and largely dependent on the number used in each month. The kits are bulk purchased, as required, in quantities over 10,000 to allow for the volume of London traffic.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase One Report – Recommendations for the LFB

Hina Bokhari: When will the LFB have completed all 29 recommendations for them from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase One Report, and can you confirm what discussions you are having to ensure these are completed as soon as possible?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has now completed 26 out of the 29 recommendations directed specifically at the Brigade, other fire and rescue services or other emergency services more widely. LFB is working to implement the remaining three recommendations as quickly as possible:
The significant changes the Brigade has made since the Grenfell Tower fire include introducing smoke hoods to aid in the rescue of people in smoke-filled environments, introducing 64m ladders to help tackle fires in high-rise buildings, rolling out an extensive programme of training in order to put in place changes for how the Brigade responds to high-rise fires, including when the ‘stay put’ guidance is no longer viable and has to be revoked, and a mass evacuation carried out. Progress has continued despite the impact of the pandemic on the Brigade’s ability to run in-person training needed to complete the recommendations.
My Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience receives regular updates on delivery of the recommendations at her monthly board meetings, which reported to relevant GLA policy areas in a monthly steering group. I speak regularly to the London Fire Commissioner about the recommendations and publish regular reports on progress. The twenty-fifth report, published in March 2022, can be found here: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayor_25th_progress_report_gti_recommendations1.pdf

Walking and cycling objectives for the Silvertown Road Tunnel (1)

Siân Berry: In papers prepared for the Transport for London (TfL) Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group (STIG) on 27 January 2022, reference is made to the current project objectives. Could you explain which objectives for the project cover the improvements for walking and cycling that were discussed during the Development Consent Order (DCO) process for the Silvertown Road Tunnel, and how the STIG will track their progress?
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/stig-presentation-270122.pdf

The Mayor: Project Objective 4 - “To integrate with local and strategic land use policies” – is Transport for London’s (TfL’s) key objective for the scheme to ensure it delivers local walking, cycling and urban realm improvements as part of the major redevelopments underway on both sides of the river. The Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group will not explicitly track progress of the walking and cycling improvements being delivered as part of the scheme, but details of these plans must be submitted to and approved by the local boroughs as part of the broader requirements of the Development Consent Order and direct agreements with the boroughs. Plans for improving cross-river cycling will similarly need to be submitted to, and approved by, the local boroughs. Project Objective 6 is therefore also relevant, with TfL seeking “to ensure where possible that any proposals are acceptable in principle to key stakeholders, including affected boroughs”.
The Silvertown Tunnel project objectives are described further in the Case for the Scheme: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/wp-content/ipc/uploads/projects/TR010021/TR010021-000228-7.1%20Case%20for%20the%20Scheme.pdf

Daniel Morgan Inquiry (2)

Unmesh Desai: How will you and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime ensure these recommendations are delivered within the timescales set out in the report?

The Mayor: The HMICFRS report contains twenty recommendations, five causes of concern and two areas for improvement. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has primacy for eighteen of the recommendations, with the other two recommendations led by the National Police Chiefs Counsel (NPCC) and College of Policing.
The MPS has accepted all of the findings and has committed to delivering the work necessary as a result of them as soon as possible.
My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime will have oversight of the delivery plan and receive regular progress reports on implementation through bilateral meetings with the MPS.

Loss of London public toilets (3)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2021/4822. Could you provide examples of how Transport for London (TfL) is currently improving toilet provision, and will you also confirm the plans for improvement that will be delivered in the coming financial year?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) recognises that public toilets are an important enabler for travel, in particular for older and disabled people. The opening of the Elizabeth line will deliver new accessible toilet facilities at Farringdon station to include a baby changing room. There will also be a Changing Places accessible facility at Ealing Broadway and several other new accessible facilities across the line.
TfL’s current financial position means that opportunities to provide further new facilities are expected to be limited in the coming financial year. TfL is working to improve customer information and has just published enhanced information for London Underground toilets including opening hours and whether accessible toilets have RADAR key access

Drug driving 2

Keith Prince: How many Met police officers are trained to use drug driving kits?

The Mayor: Since the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Field Impairment Training was rolled out in 2005, approximately 2,300 Met police officers have completed this training. This training includes the use of ‘drug wipe’ kits.
‘Drug wipe’ kits only test for cocaine and cannabis. Therefore, as per MPS policy, where a driver is suspected of being under the influence of drugs it is expected an officer conducts a full Field Impairment Test in addition to a ‘drug wipe’ test.

The Met’s response to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel Report - Independent Academic Panel (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: The Met has stated the Operation Drayfurn team, looking at the Met’s response to the recommendations from the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, engaged a number of independent subject matter experts who applied an established theoretical model to the concept of institutional corruption and provided some commentary on their findings. Will the Met commit to publishing in full the findings of and analysis conducted by the academics involved?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has published the Academic Workshop report on its Publication Scheme.
https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/priorities_and_how_we_are_doing/corporate/institutional-corruption-and-the-daniel-morgan-report-workshop-paper-jan-22.docx

Police Officer Allocations from Government to London

Unmesh Desai: Despite the Government’s refusal of your and the previous Commissioner’s request for London to receive 6,000 of the 20,000 police officers which were set to be recruited between 2020-2023, will you continue your call for London to receive 6,000 officers?

The Mayor: My top priority is to keep Londoners safe, and I will continue to lobby for the resources that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) needs.
The Government’s Police Uplift Programme did not allocate the 6,000 additional officers that the previous Commissioner and I had judged to be necessary, and I will continue to press for that full allocation.

Daniel Morgan Inquiry (1)

Unmesh Desai: Has the Metropolitan Police Service accepted the findings of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ report entitled ‘An inspection of the Metropolitan Police Service’s counter-corruption arrangements and other matters related to the Daniel Morgan independent Panel’, including the 20 recommendations made in the report?

The Mayor: The HMICFRS report contains twenty recommendations, five causes of concern and two areas for improvement. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has primacy for eighteen of the recommendations, with the other two recommendations led by the National Police Chiefs Counsel (NPCC) and College of Policing.
The MPS has accepted all of the findings and has committed to delivering the work necessary as a result of them as soon as possible.
My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime will have oversight of the delivery plan and receive regular progress reports on implementation through bilateral meetings with the MPS.

HMICFRS Child Safeguarding Inspections of the Met (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: During the 2021 inspection, HMICFRS audited 170 child protection cases of which a staggering 68% were graded as either requiring improvement or inadequate. After five years and four HMICFRS child safeguarding inspections, why is the Met still struggling so significantly with child safeguarding and how will you be prioritising this going forward, given the persistent failures?

The Mayor: The findings of the 2016 report into child protection at the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) by HMICFRS were deeply troubling. In response to this, my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime established the London Child Protection Oversight Group to oversee the change required to deliver improved service. Performance has improved, and this has been acknowledged by the HMICFRS moving from specific Inspections to the PEEL process. The MPS are rolling out Operation Aegis across all BCUs and they are confident this will deliver further improvements. However, progress has been slower than any of us would have liked, and that is why I am not complacent and will continue to press for improvements and hold the MPS to account for their work in that regard.

HMICFRS Child Safeguarding Inspections of the Met (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: The Met has been subject to annual child safeguarding inspections by HMICFRS since the significant failings identified by HMICFRS in 2016. Despite improvements, the 2022 report still presented serious and ongoing concerns. Do you share my concern that HMICFRS isn’t planning any further inspection of the Met under the banner of their national child protection inspections, and will you ask them to continue these inspections of the Met until vast improvements are seen?

The Mayor: Whilst I welcome the improvements made by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) since 2016 and I know that the MPS have learnt from this report and its follow-ups, I am not complacent on this issue.
There are specific areas of concern that have been identified in the report and the MPS have assigned each of these issues, along with other recommendations mentioned in the report, to a specific ‘owner’ who will be responsible for making the improvements that are required.
Those remaining areas of concerns will be inspected through HMICFRS inspections under the PEEL framework. My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime will continue to provide oversight and scrutiny of these issues through the London Child Protection Improvement and Oversight Group and continue to meet with HMICFRS to ensure that any concerns are being picked up and addressed.